Thom Rainer in his small but powerful read I Am a Church Member, compares the difference between Country Club Membership and Church Membership. God clearly designed the church to act as a body, with each member actively serving for the mutual benefit of others, exercising their God-given spiritual gifts for the health and well-being of the body with the end result a healthy church involved in building God’s kingdom.
However, the predominate trend that Rainer addresses is the country club mentality that many church members take of being a spectator and not a participant. Here is what he says:
“For them, membership is about receiving instead of giving, being served instead of serving, rights instead of responsibilities, and entitlements instead of sacrifices. This wrongful view of membership sees the tithes and offerings as membership dues that entitle members to a never-ending list of privileges and expectations, instead of an unconditional cheerful gift to God.”
If you are a pastor, I highly recommend I Am a Church Member. The affordability of this book makes it possible to put it in the hands of your leaders and the entire congregation. If you are a church member, I challenge you to read this book as a reminder of what you “get to do” as a member of the body of Christ represented through your local church.
0 Comments